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Top royal baby name picks

Mere hours after Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, announced they were expecting their second baby, bets were already being made on the child's name. Take a look at some of the names with the best odds.

With England's monarchy stretching back more than nine centuries, there are more than enough names for the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge to choose from for their expected son or daughter.

In the past, royal couples have kept the public waiting. Prince William's own parents, for example, waited a week before unveiling his name. And since this baby isn't due until April, royal watchers will likely be waiting a long time for the new prince or princess's name.

According to UK betting sites Ladbrokes and Paddy Power, some of the male baby names with the best odds include James, Arthur, William, Charles, Philip, Henry and Thomas.

Arthur, the king of Camelot, evokes images of chivalrous knights. It's in the Top 100 of UK names, and it's one of Prince William's middle names. Shown above is actor Richard Harris as King Arthur in "Camelot."

James, a top 10 name in England, has seen a lot of use: there have been two English kings named James and six Scottish ones. Shown above is James I of England.

William has been the name of four English kings -- and, of course, is the name of the royal baby's father. It's the eighth most popular baby name in England and Wales

Philip, also the name of Prince William's grandfather, has never been the name of an English king.

Charles would be a nod to the baby's grandfather, Prince Charles. There have been two English kings names Charles.

Henry has been the name of eight British kings. The last, Henry VIII, is perhaps the best known, having broken off from the Catholic church to form the Church of England so he could divorce his first wife.

Thomas is the sixth most popular boy's name in Great Britain. English philosopher Thomas Hobbes is pictured.

For a girl, according to Irish bookmaker paddypower.com, the names with the best odds are Victoria, Mary, Elizabeth, Charlotte, Alexandra, Alice and Catherine.

Victoria, the name of a former queen, whose name has come to represent the style and manner of the time of her reign -- the Victorian era -- has been said by some to be a little presumptuous for a new royal.

Mary has been the name of two English queens. Mary was also the name of Queen Elizabeth II's grandmother, and it's one of Queen Elizabeth's middle names.

Elizabeth, the name of the queen and the queen's mother, is seen by many as much more likely to be among the multiple middle names of a baby princess. In addition, it happens to be Kate's middle name.

Charlotte was the name of both the wife of King George III and one of his daughters. It's the 21st most popular baby name in England and Wales.

Alexandra is one of Queen Elizabeth's middle names and was the name of King Edward VII's consort. However, Alexandra is not on the UK Top 100 Baby Names.

Alice was the name of Queen Victoria's second daughter. It's the 27th most popular girl's name in England and Wales.

Catherine would honor the royal baby's mother.

The odds on Diana aren't nearly as good for baby No. 2 as they were for baby No. 1, but there is still plenty of speculation Prince William could honor his late mother by naming a daughter Diana.

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